Images: Bay Area Election 2012

Then, the race for her seat became even more high-profile when State Assemblywoman Mary Hayashi said she wanted in - and was later convicted last year on a misdemeanor shoplifting chargg. She admitted to taking $2,450 in clothes from Neiman Marcus, and is still on probation.

But in the end, the winner of this seat is someone with much less baggage. Richard Valle won with 36 percent of the vote. The former Union City councilman had been installed in July after Lockyer stepped down.